Wander
by Clouds-Stars
Summary: Reyna Collins is dead, she has been for quite some time, but she had no idea that dying could make you feel so alive. She had no idea about how dying could bring you back, and introduce you to all theses strange creatures. When she makes her way to Seattle, she is surprised to discover she isn't as alone as she thought she was.
1. Chapter 1

**_Prologue_**

 _This is the way the world ends, Not with a bang but a whimper._

* * *

I had always feared death. I mean, most people do, but even as a child I would lie awake at night and wonder when I was going to die. I used to curl up in bed, and weep over the losses I had yet to face. I would cry over the losses of aunts, and cousins, and grandparents that I would surely see the next day. The only thing that scared me more than death was being left alone. The thought of living when everyone I loved was already gone. I was _very_ sullen, dramatic child. Too short and clumsy for my own good, with big, watery brown eyes that I would grow into eventually.

I grew from a morose child into an angry teenager, then rose above it all to become a stressed adult. Technically an adult, not by very much though. When I died, or failed to die, I was only 21. A year away from my bachelor's degree, fresh from my room at my mother's house. My whole life, I had only asked for one thing from death. _Make it quick, and make it painless._ My fear of death had always been derived from a fear of pain, watered by sharp words and stinging hands; fertilized by leather belts, and nowhere to run. I thought that the world would grant me this one wish, a wish for something easy and uncomplicated. I didn't think I was asking for very much, but Death had looked at me, and rolled it's eyes.

Luck was never the lady on my side. When death came for me, it came not with numbness, nor gentility. True to form, Death came with fire. A burning inferno that made me believe that Dante had been right. I was going to burn in one of his circles for my sins. It was the only thing that made sense. I could hide my sins from my parents, but never from God. Flashes of the end looped in my head, and I watched death come for me hundreds of times before something changed. I could feel the corners of my mind widen, perhaps to accept this fate I had been destined to. My heart seemed to beat in my chest despite the fact that I knew I was beyond saving. The plane had crashed. No one survived.

Time seemed impossible to measure in my hell, but after sometime, the pain lessened. Not enough to make much of a difference, but the fire started to quell itself in the tips of my fingers. I wondered if God had washed away my sins. I was ready to enter paradise. True to form, I was wrong.

* * *

It turned out, I would not die that winter, on a plane from New York to Chicago. 190 people would die December 4th, 2008. Three of them would be family, and all of them would have family. I got to live, _he_ ensured that. To repay him for his kindness, I would kill him a week later. Survival of the Fittest. Or of the most unfortunate.

For years I wandered, time moved on even if I never did. I watched those I love grieve. I watched them sell our house, and from time to time I would visit my family. The living members at least, my parents weren't really going anywhere. When I watched my grandfather die, peacefully in hospice, I raged with unbridled jealousy. Then, I decided it was time to move on from Illinois. I had never wanted to travel very much. It had been an argument to get me to the ill-fated New York trip that should have taken my life. Being mindful of the sun left most of the Southern US out of reach. I decided to go north, and visit some places that had made the short list of potential vacation spots. 8 years after my death, I packed up what little I owned, and headed west, to the ocean.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Twilight.

* * *

Running in this new life was a perk that I thought I would never get used to. I loved and hated it, my body moving to a thought that didn't have time to fully form. I sped through the forests on the outskirts of Oregon, my book bag pulled lightly on my back as I ran, even with the straps tightened to fit my slight frame. I admired how alive everything was here. Chicago didn't leave much room for life, and I had no experience with camping. I think.

My human memories were hazy. After I died, I spent the next year wandering through the Chicago suburbs. When I regained some semblance of self-control, most of my life had been packed up, sold off, or given away. I was able to track some of our old stuff down, and when I had been visiting one of my aunts, I stole a picture. I couldn't say what it was from, but it was a good reminder of who I was. At least, who I was supposed to be. It looked like a family reunion, or a birthday party, perhaps. I couldn't name all of the people in the picture, but I knew who they were to me.

I crushed a rock underfoot, allowing thoughts of my family to die. They were either dead, or they thought I was dead.

Technically, I was dead.

It's not as permanent as one would think.

I shook my head, and let myself get lost in the green. It was so green here. My mother always told me that green was the color of life. Birds startled overhead, and I marveled at how blue the sky was. Everything was always so bright with these new eyes. I loved and hated it. Everything was over saturated, and lively in a way that could make you crazy if you thought about it too much. You could lose yourself in the color of the grass and dirt, and the creatures that lived in them. I had once spent a solid week in a field of flowers, taking in the smells and colors, getting lost in how the petals felt on my fingers.

From a distance, I head a warm sloshing. The wet, dull _thump-thump-thump_ that made my throat catch fire every time. I ran towards the sound, abandoning my course in favor of investigation. I usually over-fed, loving the blood-drunkenness that accompanied over eating. I didn't have much experience with any other types of drunkenness, and drunk humans didn't make you drunk. They just tasted bad. Over-eating was the best substitute I could some up with. Somewhere in my head, an old voice whispered, _Gluttony is a sin._ I shoved the thought away. It had been well-established in life that I was a sinner. Why should death be any different?I focused on the beating heart, and ran that way.

The burning came back with a vengeance, as the dull wet drum got closer. I stopped behind a tree, and the wind shifted. I frowned in disappointment as the dirty scent of an animal hit me. I didn't know much about Oregon, but I had been hoping for campers. More than likely, I was out too far. My frown deepened at the thought of heading towards a town. One of the few things I remembered about Oregon was that it wasn't very populated. I think. There was no internet in the forest.

I had stolen a laptop from one of my meals. He had been a scrawny boy, with thick hair and thicker glasses. He told me all about his upgrades, while I rubbed up against him. His name was Ben. Ben's laptop had been the most useful I had ever found. One time, I had found an iPhone. It was a beautiful pastel blue, but it didn't work well with my lack of heat. I crushed it, and threw it away in the Des Plaines, along with the girl I had found it on. I never really liked Joliet, but it was better for hiding than Naperville or Bolingbrook.

My laptop had been my only source of information over the years. I watched the Obama campaign with interest, and these past few years had only gotten crazier. I reminded myself to take a careful trip to Baton Rogue if I ever got the chance. I was planning second to Minnesota if necessary. Hunting criminals who were being watched by the world could prove to be a very interesting challenge. I ran with renewed interest towards the center of the state. If the humans wanted someone to kill them, I was happy to oblige.

* * *

After an hour of mindless running, I began to smell them. The sun would be up for another hour, so I sighed and prepared to wait.

I allowed myself to take a short walk through the forest, edging closer to the sirens call. My brain was too roomy now. And to think I had believed I over-thought as a human. My thoughts swarmed, coming forward all at once to bring back the unpleasantness of my afterlife.

 _What are you going to do when you reach Seattle? Why did you have to kill him? Why did you kill them all?_

The faces of the lives I had taken began to appear. The names ran through my head as the parade continued.

I shut my eyes, and listened to the noise of life going on around me, trying to ignore the dead that seem to insist on speaking with me. I could hear a squirrel digging about 50 feet from me, not sensing the danger. To my left there was a flock of birds whispering quietly amongst themselves. Almost a mile away I could hear…

My eyes snapped open, and I let a grin break as light cloud coverage began to settle in. My meals always made me sad, but I smiled at the prospect of getting clean. I began jogging, before giving up any pretense of casual. It's not like anyone was around to see me. I gained speed and ground, and the closer I got the louder the stream gurgled.

I had lost any pretense of hygiene in my first year. I fed often and messily. I got better over time, but traveling had forced me to give up those newly reinstated habits.

I stopped a few feet away from the river, rummaging through my bag for one of those laundry pod things. One of my meals had shown them to me after seeing how dirty I was.

" _They're portable, so even if you go camping a lot, you can have clean clothes. I have a ton. You can have some, if you want?"_

They were always so generous.

I wasn't sure if I would find any after him. They didn't seem to be very popular with the people I hunted. I resolved to look for some after my hunt. I stripped noiselessly, carefully cradling my clothes to my chest. I walked over to the stream's edge, and gently lowered myself. The water was slow, and mostly clear. The little fish that were there immediately sped off, and I rolled my eyes. It's not as if I could eat them. The water was warm against my frozen body, warmer than usual. It was summer, had been for at least two or three months. Summer was especially pleasant on the West Coast. I gave myself a minute to long for the beaches I knew were only a few hundred miles south. If only.

I worked on my clothes first, rising them out before bursting the pod on them. I scrubbed them all together, working up a mild lather. I took special precaution to try to wash out any grime from my shirt, it was one the first things humans noticed. If it was covered in blood, they might notice something's wrong. I would have to replace them soon anyway, they were becoming worn, and starting to get holes in them. I thoroughly rinsed my clothes, and laid them on the bank to begin drying. They would dry completely after I started running. Hopefully my next meal could loan me some clothes, or at least a jacket.

I dunked my head under the cloudy water, allowing my hair to fan out around me. I didn't really need to bathe too often. This body didn't smell or sweat, but I tended to get leaves and dirt trapped in the curly waves of my hair. I opened my eyes, watching the stream rush by me. I blinked carefully, and then shook my head. Some loose twigs were snagged by the water, swarming helplessly downstream. I carefully ran my fingers through my hair, trying to get rid of any extra debris.

Fading sunset light came through the water, illuminating the sand gravel at the riverbed. It was so alive down here, too. Plants grew, and fish had made their home here. I watched the nervous zipping of fish, and the swaying river plants until the sun went down. Even through the water I could see the stars.

 _The stars will live much longer than us. It's their job to tell our story._

I breathed out, and let myself sink until I rested at the bottom of the river. My presence killed the little warmth that was left by the suns passing rays. My throat burned more insistently now. I pushed myself up, and when my head broke the surface, I sighed. It was time to go hunt.

* * *

 _I'm definitely not in Kansas anymore,_ I thought blithely to myself. Where did I know that from? I rolled my eyes, and looked down from my branch.

Climbing trees had quickly become one of my favorite things in this new life. I loved testing how high I could get without breaking a branch, I loved the view, I loved the non-threat of the ground.

I could see a road from where I lounged, the rough trunk scratching against my already wearing shirt. I crossed my ankles to give myself something to do. A part of me wanted to stalk through the town, and take as I pleased. That part of me wanted to gorge myself on these people until there was no one left, or I couldn't move. Whatever came last. The other, more rational part of me knew the logic of this plan. If only someone would come this way.

As if on cue, I heard a gentle thrumming in the distance. I learned forward to get a better listen. Two, no three wet thumping pulses were heading my direction. I stilled, eagerly listening to for anything that might make this complicated. Francisco had taught me the rule: don't get caught.

The hearts got closer, I could hear the music now that I was paying attention. The voice had a vague familiarity; I could almost see myself in my childhood bedroom, singing dramatically into a mirror about a boy I would never love. I ignored it, focusing in on my prize. Two of the heart beats where slow and steady, while maybe two feet back the third raced like a hummingbirds wing. I sighed, and let gravity pull me back to earth. This was a complication.

I pushed my hair back, and straightened my shirt before walking towards the road. I thought for a second, before I pulled my hair up into a pony tail. As I waited for the car, I idly wondered why my hair and nails didn't continue to grow. My cells were dead. My hair should be at my ankles by now. I pushed out a firm breath, and stopped. I stood firmly in the middle of the road, the slight bend would hide me for a bit. Then they would have to stop, or I would make them stop. As the headlights hit my form, I could hear the brakes hissing.

The car came to a stop 50 feet in front of me, the driver glaring. I did my best to look nervous, while the beautiful scent of his blood started to filter through an open window.

"What the hell is she doing," he snapped. "She's going to get herself killed being in the road like that."

A sharp horn cut through the night, and in the back seat, my fears were confirmed. A child, startled, began to cry.

"Anthony! Just get out, and see what she wants. Jesus, it's not like the girl could hurt you."

I allowed myself a smile.

A sandy-haired man smoothly exited the vehicle, murmuring a curse under his breath. In the car, the child was soothed, and the near constant thrumming of her heart slowed. I could make out a set of pigtails, the same sandy-brown, and I said a prayer. "Hey, it's not safe for you to be standing in the middle of the road."

"I'm sorry," I said, deliberately letting the words tremble. "I was camping with my family, but wee got separated. I lost my phone, and I've been wandering for a few hours. I'm lost, and I wasn't sure where I was. I'm just a little desperate."

Anthony eyed me lightly, "You're in Imnaha," _Where the fuck is that?_ I fluttered my eyelashes, and listened to his heart falter. "Is there any way you could give me a ride? Please, or just let me use your phone so I can call my brother and tell him where to meet me,"

His eyes roamed my form, and the delicious blood rushed to his face. _If only…_

"I would have to talk to my wife about a ride, our daughter is in the car with us, but I can definitely let you use my phone." He turned back to his car, and without prompting I followed him. "Hey, do you know if your grocery store has any of those little tide pods?" His eyebrows furrowed, and he gave a half shrug. "I can't be too sure, you can definitely get some if you go a little closer to the city," he suggested. I nodded my head agreeably, _what city are you talking about?_

He led me around to the passenger's side, his wife opening her window. "Hello," she said, both inquisitive and guarded. I smiled back at her softly. She was a smart woman, a mother. Mothers didn't like strangers. "Hi. I'm sorry to have bothered you folks, but I'm about as lost as I could be." She smiled sympathetically, although it didn't reach her eyes. "Your husband said I could use his phone," I explained. She handed me a sleek silver rectangle, and I longed for the blood hiding under her skin.

I clicked the phone on, and the smooth screen glowed with the picture of big blue eyes and a wide smile. My throat burned as I took another breath, "How old is she?" I asked. Anthony smiled proudly, "She'll be two in a few months." I nodded my head, "Yes, she will."

It was a rule I had even on my worst days, in the beginning, when it was never enough. Children would always be safe near me. My own brother was ten when he died. I obsessed for months on how he never even made it into high school. He never got to walk the halls of my high school, or go to prom or learn to drive. The little girl would live to see high school. That's the best offer I could give them. It wasn't like they really had a choice.

Moving quickly, before he could scream or even be afraid, I reached over and wrapped my hand around his neck. I squeezed until I felt it crack, the sound of it fed the beast. I dropped him, and turned towards his wife. Her eyes barely had time to notice him fall before I firmly grabbed her face, and pulled. There was no scream, just a soft squeak of surprise. I left her body in the seat, pulling my self away from the car to breathe. I listened carefully for any signs of approaching life, but I couldn't her over the constant _thump-thump-thump_ , of the back seat. I reached back into the car, and unlocked the doors. Then I moved to open up the back seat.

Curious and trustful blues looked back at me, blinking sleepily. I leaned over her chair, and carefully unstrapped her seat. I pulled her car seat out, and walked with her warm weight into the tree line. I held her closer to me, and walked for a minute or two. She didn't seem to notice that her parents were gone, focused entirely on a ragged stuffed bear accompanying her. I put her down near the base of a tree, then walked in a circle around her. I quickly pulled my shirt off, and rubbed myself on it. I set it down on her, like a light blanket, but I didn't worry too much. It was a summer night. She would live. I then leaned over her carefully, and breathed into her hair, and clothes. She squirmed, but I persisted. My breath was cold, but animals would know that this girl was not their prey. _That's right, she's ours_. I let the thought die.

A soft _ding_ emanated from my hand. A message popped up, _**Did you guys make it home okay?**_ ___No, they didn't,_ I thought carelessly to myself. I flipped the switch for sound, just as another message appeared. _**I know Hannah is probably fast asleep by now, LOL, poor monkey tuckered her out**_ **.** I looked at the sleepy girl cuddling her bear.

"I'll be right back, Hannah. Don't worry."

The little girl stared at me, as if my whisper had hit her but she hadn't understood. I didn't have time for this. It had already been five minutes; the blood would congeal after a while. A tremor of guilt ran through me, but I ignored it. I had gotten good at that. "Be a good girl, Hannah." I murmured. Then I went to feed.


	3. Chapter 3

This story will probably never be finished. Don't waste your time.

I don't own Twilight.

* * *

I watched the police put a very sleepy Hannah into her Grandmother's car from the top branch of a giant red wood. The Police had shown up about 30 minutes after I finished, giving me plenty of time to stage the accident. According to the humans, the car had spiraled out of control before it slammed into a tree. The force had tossed a car-seat bound Hannah out of the windshield. She landed safely in the grass, miraculously unharmed, while her parents bodies had been reduced to ashes in the car. Anyone with half a brain would know that a car fire couldn't scorch the bodies the way that they were found, but I realized early on that in small towns, things weren't questioned.

I leaned back into the greenery of the tree, and absorbed what I had saw. The Police had been two surly men, called by a "concerned citizen." I didn't want Hannah out in the open for too long. The cruiser had arrived slowly, eerily drifting down the road. The sirens screamed shrilly about a tragedy that was already over. Everyone in the car was already dead. No need for them to rush. The light flickered blue-red, blue-red in the dark, bathing everything in a harsh artificial glow. I wondered how the humans could stand the lights, they were driving me crazy. If I could get a headache, I would have one. I let myself watch the fire, the flames were much easier on the eyes.

They pulled to a stop, twenty feet before the ball of flames that were dinner. The Petersons. I had stolen his wallet before I torched them. In for a penny, in for a pound. The officers had poked around for a few minutes before calling, informing the fire marshal that there was no real reason to rush. No need to scare the citizens. The fire wasn't in danger of hitting the tree line, the gas line was already on fire. There was no other hurt. Like a ghost, more lights crept in from beyond the trees. A silent firetruck pulled up slowly behind the cruiser. A few firemen walked out, gear on, but clearly in no rush. I let out a hiss of frustration, they were taking way too long to find the girl. If they didn't want to die, they needed to hurry up. I wasn't going to stay in the town forever.

An officer jumped at the noise and flashed a light towards the base of my tree, and I slid further into the foliage. Acting quickly, I jumped from the tree, and dashed to where I had placed Hannah. I hissed again, loudly and Hannah started crying just as the light broke though the darkness.

Now she was off to live the rest of her life. She would be an orphan, but she wouldn't be alone. She would be Hannah Peterson, the girl who lived. Maybe that's a blessing or a curse, but it was the truth.

I had started north east when Hannah left, and I had been running through the woods for several hours now. I was closer to the ocean, for sure. Everything was green with life in this state, and the air had an echo of salt in it. Washington. Maybe I would take the plunge, and go international. The wind threw my hair out behind me, and I chuckled. Reyna Collins: Miss Worldwide. I let my lips curl into a wider smile as I thought of myself in a Pitbull-esque costume, the bad track suit and sun glasses. The vision was foggy though. My smile weakened as I struggled to picture his face. Pitbull was a performer? A singer maybe? A patch of bright light opened up in front of me, and I shifted to avoid it, pulling my bag closer to me. _What's the point of trees if they don't provide shade?_ I thought to myself.

The wind pushed east, and the smells of civilization assaulted me. This must have been a popular area for camping, because I had been smelling leftover human for over an hour now, but nothing this strong. I wasn't hungry, but the thought of people was _so_ appealing. Clean clothes, and conversation… I stopped running, and thought. I definitely needed clean clothes, but my eyes were brilliantly red. And it was a bit sunny today, but it wouldn't be in an hour or two. Maybe if I got around to the edge of a city, I could steal some clothes? _Stealing is a sin_ , more hissing in the back of my skull. I sighed, and began to plan my adventure.

After careful investigation, I determined that I was outside of Seattle, somewhere within Mt. Rainier. There were enough homeless people and rain for 30 vampires here. I wasn't too concerned. The cloud coverage had just started, and that meant show time. I knew once I left the mountain range, my travel methods would have to be much more discrete. I had contemplated stealing a car, or a bike, before deciding that the risk wouldn't be worth it. I had the money from yesterday's trip. A bus to Seattle from wherever the fuck I am would leave in half-an-hour. I would just have to keep my eyes down, perhaps I could "sleep" through the trip. With that resolve in mind, I mentally prepared for my ride.

* * *

The best thing about living in 2016, is that that you can buy a bus ticket with having to speak with anyone at all. Machines were the biggest blessing I could have asked for in this life, I would have appreciated them even if I was human. I had never been social to begin with. I carefully selected a time, and bus, before plying the machine with cash. After I got my ticket, I waited carefully outside near the loading area, eyes down. I leaned against a wall, and tried to put a mild look of forlornness on my face, enough so that the eyes thing wouldn't freak people out, but not so much that they felt the need to comfort me. The last thing I wanted was to have to raze the place.

I closed my eyes, and let the conversations of other people pull me in, ignoring the way their hearts called me. Nothing particularly interesting was happening in these people's lives. They were lucky that way.

A bus pulled up, and I watch the concrete as people unloaded. I didn't worry about it too much. My book bag would be considered a carry on. The new scents swirled in the air, and I had to remind myself that I wasn't hungry as a particularly clean smell invaded my lungs. It curled around inside of me, and if I was human, my blood would have carried that delicious smell to every part of my body. I moved forward automatically, getting in line to display my ticket, without making eye contact, then picking a seat in the first row by a window. I put my bag in the seat next to me, and made a point to face my body towards the window. I would hear if anyone tried to take something.

My mind followed the scent, wondering who could ever have the right to smell like that and live. My mind followed the smell into a dark alley, and bathed in it. My mind told me to dance it, and revel in the satisfaction it would bring. Instead, I listened to all the passengers board, then the doors shut and we were off.

The conversation buzzed lowly around the bus. I hadn't taken too much notice, doing my best to appear asleep. I rested my head against the window, eyes closed, and breathing shallow but even. I learned early on that deep breathing didn't appear natural. I made sure to adjust every so often, because I learned the hard way that humans should fidget. I let myself delve into the mundane lives of humanity, and focused on breathing.

"So, I met a guy." A soft voice whispered from behind me.

This particular voice had gone on about issues with her sister, and a new job. This voice was called Lily, and loved her family dearly, that much I could tell from our short time together. She wasn't very interesting, her position was entry level, and her sister wasn't supportive, but she was so reassuring in her simplicity, that I continued to come back to her. She was going to Seattle on a shopping trip with a friend-voice called Marlene.

"Define that to me. Did you meet a guy or did you _meet a guy_?" the Marlene-voice asked, amusement seeping into her tone.

For a minute, I could see the two women with their heads bent together discussing their futures, and hopes and dreams. The tone painted a picture of years-long sisterhood, and a part of me ached with longing for it. I noted their scents, and promised myself that I would never eat them. It was morbid and weird, but it made me feel better.

"Both, I think. He came into the hospital for some stiches, and we really hit it off. We've been on a few dates since then, actually," she replied guiltily. She rushed her next words out so quickly, that if I was human, I might have missed them. "I know what you're gonna say, but you were so worried after what happened with Sev, that I didn't want to tell you until it was something."

The Marlene-voice answered, but I something new caught my attention as we began to pull into the Seattle station. A weird fluttering sound begun emanating from where the Lily-voice was. It was a familiar sound, but I couldn't imagine why a second heart-beat would be fluttering unevenly, from so low in her body.

The bus stopped, and I looked down as I considered my findings. I carefully pulled on my bag, as I stared at my feet, and then I started off the bus. The Lily-voice made its way in front of me, and before I could help myself, I was staring at violently red hair. I allowed myself a little smile, and followed off the bus. Without think I took a step towards her and grabbed her arm gently.

Green eyes met my red ones with apprehension and, then fear. Before she could cause a scene, I leaned forward and touched her stomach with my other hand.

"Congratulations.," I whispered, offering her a toothy smile.

In general, it's a dick move to scare pregnant women. But as I let her go, and hurried away, I couldn't help but smile. It's some story, a demon predicting your pregnancy. She didn't seem to know she was pregnant, and this would get her into a hospital sooner.

As I exited the station, I was accosted by the sights and smells settle had to offer. The salt in the air seemed much stronger here. But even the sharp salt could cut through the thick smell of people.

I froze in my tracks as the invitation to feast was laid at my feet. Holding, my breath a picked a direction, and began to walk that way, trying my best to keep my head down. The sunglasses were going to be necessary, with the pull of the people drawing my hunger back to me. I decided to ditch the plan, and feed first before I took on the city. I kept steady as I let the crowd thin around me, not showing them how close to death they were.

Most people would be so shocked to find out how beautiful death is. I know I was.

His face popped into my mind before I could stop it. I would forever hate that his face would be grained into my head as the first thing I ever saw in my eternity. What an ass. I tried to push black hair and dimples to the back of my mind, as rain started over the city. Less people seem to come this direction but this did nothing to lessen the assortment of shops in the area. I ducked into one advertising tourist-y t-shirts.

The bell rang when I walked in, and I immediately grabbed a pair of novelty sunglasses as I heard a body come towards me.

"Hello! Can I help you today?" a woman greeted me, curiously.

I crammed the glasses onto my face, and turned to greet her.

"No, I'm just looking. Thank you." I managed, trying not to breathe.

"Alright, well my name is Katie, you just let me know if you need anything, okay?"

I managed an unconvincing nod, and worked myself deeper into the store.

I picked an over price shirt, with the Seattle skyline on it, and some sweatpants that said Seahawks on the upper thigh. I would look like an idiot, but it was weather appropriate and within budget. I also found a thin Seahawks jacket, and a Seattle umbrella. I would look like a walking ad, but it would be clean and warm.

I walked up to the counter, and set down my haul. I reached up carefully for the tag dangling from my sun glasses, pulling it off and setting it down on the rest of my clothes.

"Honey, you won't need those. It's gloomy out," Katie said conversationally.

"I don't want my parents to see," I explained, slighty abashed. "I had a little something to drink, and they don't know I go out… is it okay if I change here before I go? I feel like you can smell it on me," I whispered

She grinned and shook her head at me, "Of course, hon. I know what it's like to be young."

I smiled gratefully at her, trying to convey my thanks without taking in anymore air. I followed her to a changing room, where I changed and put away my old stuff. I thanked her again as I followed her back towards the register, and made my way to the door.

I walked back out into the street again, ready to hunt.


End file.
